PANAMA CITY — A local Panama City business executive blew away the competition in November fundraising, hauling in 25 times as much as his nearest rival in the state House District 6 race.

Jay Trumbull, who is running as a Republican in the 2014 election, collected $30,285 in monetary contributions last month. Those are his only contributions so far, and he’s spent less than $400 on his campaign, according to the state Division of Elections website. The seat is currently held by Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, who is term limited.

Trumbull, 24, said he was pleased by the support and that it’s been “fantastic.” He is a co-owner in his family’s Culligan franchises — there are six, in Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

“I started working really hard when I filed, and I’m just trying to get in front of as many people as possible,” he said. “And I think that’s how we got to the number we got to (in) November.”

Trumbull appears to have the backing of some of the top Panama City Republicans. Bo Rivard, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission board member, donated $1,000 to his campaign in November, as did his local law firm. And Rivard was a host at a Dec. 4 fundraiser for Trumbull. Other hosts included Nevin Zimmerman, the current city attorney for Panama City and former Bay County attorney, local developer James Maulden, long-time former Bay County Clerk of Court Harold Bazzel, Panama City-based lobbyist and pharmacist Randall McElheney and even restaurateur Johnny Patronis, uncle of Jimmy Patronis.

Jimmy Patronis, though, has not endorsed a candidate.

Trumbull said he was unsure if the local party heavy hitters had tapped him for the seat and said he wasn’t “huge on endorsements.”

“The ones I have talked to have been supportive. … I’m just kind of keeping my head down right now and running my own little race,” he said.

Because of a Florida law passed this year, the maximum donation to a legislative candidate was raised from $500 to $1,000. Trumbull also picked up two $1,000 donations from his family’s businesses — Trumbull Water Services of Northwest Florida in Panama City and Culligan Water Solutions in Fort Walton Beach.

Other candidates

The only other candidates to crack the $1,000 monetary contribution mark in November were Jamie Shepard, D-Panama City Beach, who raised $1,200, and Melissa Hagan, R-Lynn Haven, who raised $1,000.

Shepard has raised $4,850 and spent $3,361 in total. Hagan has, in total, raised $36,585, received $20,500 in loans and picked up $976 in in-kind contributions while spending $6,919.

Thelma Rohan, R-Panama City, raised $500 in November. In total, she has received $7,300 in monetary contributions, $10,000 in loans and about $50 in in-kind contributions while spending about $150 on the race.

Other candidates and their totals are:

-Tho Bishop, R-Panama City Beach, $500 in November, with a total of $1,750 and $1,573 spent.

-Mark Anderson, R-Panama City: No money received or spent

-Brian Rust, R-Panama City Beach, no money received or spent reported.

-Ryan Jack Singleton, D-Panama City, No money in November, a total of $377, expenditure of $97.

-Henry Lawrence, Green Party-Panama City, $150 received in November for a total of $175, with $86 spent.

Other races

State Rep. Halsey Beshears, R-Monticello, still has no competition for his state House District 7 seat, but he raised $10,000 in monetary contributions in November. To date, he’s received $71,035 in monetary contributions and $634 in in-kind contributions spending about $27,000.

David Drake, R-DeFuniak Springs, pulled in $1,500 in November as he runs for the District 5 state House seat. In total, he’s received $94,100 in monetary contributions and $350 in in-kind contributions and spent about $59,000. State Rep. Marti Coley, R-Marianna, holds the seat currently, but is term-limited.

State Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, stayed focused on his 2016 race for the District 1 state Senate seat. He raised $9,350 in monetary contributions and received $1,277 in in-kind contributions in November. In total he’s received $386,510 in monetary contribution and $9,197 in in-kind contributions while spending about $29,000.

Gaetz is unopposed in the 2014 election to hold his District 4 state House seat and has done little to fundraise for it, bringing in just $500 in November for the race. In total, he has received $32,700 in monetary contributions and spent $21,900.